Mural artist showcases her new art in Downtown Phoenix

Leila Parnian is a local Arizona artist who has painted a mural on a new 21-story-high apartment building in Downtown Phoenix. It is entitled, “Through Her Eyes,” and the mural depicts a woman’s face looking out over the city. The eyes and eyebrows are Parnian’s.

“I intentionally did that because my story, it’s unique, and I want to inspire other artists to follow their dreams,” Parnian said.

Parnian was born and raised in Scottsdale; her parents emigrated here from Iran. To paint the mural, Parnian had assistance from two colleagues and a swing stage. Parnian explained how this project came to be over five years ago.

“At that time, I only painted murals for one year. I had been an artist for over 20 years, but murals started in 2018. So this is 2019, and they’re like, ‘What’s your dream, as you know, as a muralist,’ and I’m like, ‘My dream is to hang off of a high rise and paint a mural.’ And I remember they both looked at each other, like, ‘Who says that, right?’ And they made that happen

The owner of the building featuring Parnian’s mural wanted something different, and she shared how she interpreted this into her art.

“Everyone wants the desert scapes and the sunsets and the cactus. He’s like, ‘I want something different,’ and I’m like, ‘I’m gonna do something out of the box,'” Parnian said.

She added, “I really want it to be something bold and vibrant and a beacon of hope for creatives. And just, you know, able to have, to make people feel some type of way without saying a word.”